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A resolution allowing a standing invitation to the City Administrator to attend the Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s executive sessions was approved during the November meeting.

The resolution stated “it has been called to the attention of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Tullahoma, Tennessee that our current City Administrator, Mr. Jason Quick, has not been given authority to attend Executive Sessions of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen which are held from time to time and it is the desire of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen that he be allowed to attend such Executive Sessions, by invitation from a majority of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen from time to time, when they deem that his presence is either appropriate or necessary.”

The resolution further iterated that BoMA had been advised regarding the authorization.

City Attorney Stephen Worsham spoke to give further details, as he was the one who drafted the resolution.

“You will recall that during our last city administrator’s tenure, there was some issue regarding whether or not she was enabled or entitled to come to our executive sessions, and we checked with Municipal Tech Advisory Service (MTAS) and they advised us that unless we had a resolution authorizing the city administrator to attend those sessions, it was improper for them to do so,” he said.

He added that he hoped the board would pass the resolution, as he felt it necessary for the city administrator to be at certain executive sessions due to his role in the city.

“He’s not required to come to all of them unless we ask him to,” said Worsham.

Mayor Pro Tem Jenna Amacher addressed the issue first.

“I believe at the time that this question was asked, I was the one who posed the question and brought up the fact that it was inappropriate for our then city administrator to be attending unless we officially designated her with the right to attend,” she said. “The only issue that I see is how we would go about by a majority vote,” she said in relation to the resolution drawn up by Worsham.

“I’m fine with just making it a blanket (invitation) unless we specify he should not be in attendance,” Amacher added.

She posed the question to Worsham of whether or not this would make City Administrator Jason Quick a city officer. He explained that he didn’t think it was an issue now. Amacher brought up providing agendas and sealed minutes about executive sessions, and asked for more information.

Worsham told her that the board can certainly do that if they wished, but explained that technically, executive sessions are not considered meetings, so an agenda would not be mandatory. He added that he didn’t think having an agenda or sealed minutes was a bad idea.

Before the resolution was put to a vote, Alderman Daniel Berry asked if Quick’s attendance would be mandatory or just an invitation. Amacher clarified that it would not be compulsory.

Alderman Jerry Mathis made the motion for the amendment, Alderman Bobbie Wilson seconded and the motion passed unanimously. The original motion as amended also passed unanimously.